Click Counting Users: How Long Does Your Pen Last and Have You Noticed Any Loss of Effectiveness?

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I have a question for people who use click counting, and I also want to understand why so many people are against it.

Logically, it doesn't make much sense to me. The expiration date on the pen is usually around two years, yet some people seem to think that if I insert the needle a few extra times, the medication will suddenly become ineffective, contaminated, or unsafe because it's being stored for longer. If I'm keeping it refrigerated the entire time, that doesn't really make sense to me.

I know the manufacturer says to use the pen for a limited number of doses, and I understand that recommendation. But I'm talking about the logic behind it. Logically, it doesn't seem like the medication would suddenly lose its effectiveness. And even if potency decreases over time, I doubt it would go from fully effective to completely ineffective overnight. I would assume any loss in effectiveness would be gradual and relatively small.

Also, considering how much money click counting can save, don't you think it's worth it? Personally, Mounjaro would not be financially sustainable for me without click counting. If I followed the standard dosing schedule exactly, I would probably only be able to afford it for a few months. Because of that, click counting feels like the only realistic option for me.

That said, I still get influenced by other people's opinions, and all the warnings I see make me second-guess myself.

For those of you who use click counting, how long do you typically use a pen before finishing it? I'm currently near the end of one, and even though the dose I'm taking is relatively low, it's still helping me. I know most of the hard work is coming from me because I still have food noise, cravings, and occasional urges to overeat. On the few days that I did overeat, I didn't feel like the medication physically stopped me from eating more. I also never really had any side effects from the start.

Even so, the medication is giving me enough support that I'm doing well, and I was considering staying on the lower dose for a while longer. The problem is that if I do that, a pen might last close to three months instead of two and that alone is making me consider upping my dose so that the pen doesn't last too long. Even though I don't really understand how the medication could suddenly go bad, I still don't want to take unnecessary risks because it costs a lot of money.

So for those who use click counting, how long does a pen usually last for you before you finish it?